In Tune
by LLDreamer445
Summary: God asks Joan to learn to play the guitar, buy why? You'll find out. Placed after Judith before Bonnie. Please review!
1. Can't I Have a Break?

Authors note: Ok i promise this will get interesting, but I dont want to give anything away yet so youll have to read it.

Disclaimer: I dont own JoA, although no one else does ne more so i dont understand why i have to write this

Chapter 1

Joan was tired. That was an understatement. Either way here he came, with his corduroy jacket. She rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she just take a break for once. Things were going good for her and Adam. And, yet, God still proceeded toward her.

"Hi, Joan, miss me?" His spiky hair seemed to mock her.

"For what? Like the two seconds you were gone?" She found herself wishing he had British accent, something more interesting to listen to.

"I want you to--"

She cut him off. "I just got done with a mission. Can't I have a break?" Screaming in God's face was probably not a very wise thing to do.

"Imagine what would happen if I took a break." He turned around and started walking back the way he came.

Joan spun him around by the collar of his jacket. "You cannot tell me you are not snippy today." She gave him a joking smile.

"Ready to listen. Good. I want you to learn how to play the guitar."

Joan's eyes shot open. "That's not exactly easy to do, you know. And where am I going to get a guitar. I have NO MONEY." She showed him the space between her fingers where money should have been as she followed him down the hall.

"Didn't Kevin use to play?" It wasn't a question. She stopped and glared as he kept going. The wave, of course, today it made her angry.

Joan handed Kevin a plate out of the dishwasher to be set on the table for dinner.

"Hey Kev, do you still have that old guitar?"

"Yeah, somewhere. Why? Another one of your crazy hobbies."

She hated the crazy shots, but she decided not to go there. "Yeah, sorta. So can I borrow it?"

"Sure." Joan handed him more plates, smiling triumphantly.

Dinner was served and the Girardi family sat down for their meal. Beef stew, not exactly Joan's favorite, and by the lack of garlic neither was it her father's. She pulled it apart and shoved it around to look like it was being eaten while taking microscopic bites.

"Joan, I thought you liked beef stew." Helen could always catch Joan. Of course, she'd been doing it since she could use a fork. Hiding food under the napkin, fortunately, had been nipped in the bud.

Joan sank. She knew she'd been caught. The only thing she could save herself with was to change the subject to something very interesting. She needed a savior.

"Mom, I need knew socks." She pulled her leg above the table to reveal holes on her heal and toes. To her pleasure Luke also had some sock issues and she was saved.

Kevin rolled into Joan's room later that night with a beat up, brown guitar laid on his lap. Not exactly girly or, for that matter, sanitary.

"I would have tuned it for you, but I didn't know how, so enjoy." He left her room in a rush. She found it weird, but she didn't really care. She laid it across her lap and tried to play what she thought might be a cord. All that happened was a rattled, out of tune, car crash-like sound. She decided to give up for the day.


	2. Picks

Disclaimer: I dont even care, so im not putting it again, so dont expect it

Chapter 2

Joan heard the doorbell, she waited hoping whoever it was would go away. A second ring, she had to get it. She got up from an especially comfy position while watching her favorite movie to answer the door.

"Adam!" Joan smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, hey Jane." Adam stepped inside. "What are you doing."

Joan glanced at the TV, deciding not to make him feel bad for interrupting her movie. "Nothing." She pondered why he was avoiding her question as he looked around the room.

Adam snapped back. "Oh I brought you something." He dug in his red bad while Joan smiled in delight and anticipation.

Adam pulled out a small box with a bow. Joan grabbed the box, almost too quickly, and opened the box in a matter of seconds. Inside the box contained four hand painted guitar picks. Joan knew who painted them. "Adam, these are beautiful." She picked one up and turned it in her hands. A yellow boat was on the first, and green ripples spread over the rest of it. The second, a collage of a chess piece, drum sticks, a piano, a boat, and a jump rope. The third was a portrait of Rocky and Judith, she almost cried. And last was one of herself a Adam.

"The one of you and me is my favorite. I kind of messed up on the one of the boat." Adam was always his own worst critic.

"No way. They're all amazing." Joan studied them over again, then suddenly it hit her: "Wait, I didn't even tell you I was learning to play. How did you know?"

Adam looked stunned. He lost his words at first. "I-uh-um I-I…Oh! Luke told me."

Joan looked at him funny. She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she let it go. "Did he tell you I have to play my brother's old gross one that is like brown and dirty?"

"No." he chuckled as Joan led him upstairs to show him the hideous thing.

"There it is." She moved over to it, careful not to touch the large sticky glob on one side of it.

"You know I used to play."

"No. When?"

Adam gave her a look, she had forgotten. "Remember, I told you I could play any instrument, then Price took my super powers away?"

"Oh Adam, I totally forgot." Joan smiled pleadingly.

"No problem."

"So," Joan stalled.

"I could try and help you, who knows, maybe my powers have returned since then." He picked up the guitar. He strummed it, realizing it was out of tune and tuned it like a professional. He played a cord, not bad, but not beautiful. He set it back down. "Not completely back." He looked down. "I guess I better get going, see you later Jane." He headed down the stairs.

"Bye." she yelled after him.

Adam let out a breath when he closed the door behind him. That was way too close. He headed down the sidewalk toward home when he heard footsteps behind him. He quickly spun around. "Oh, it's just you." he said in relief to a boy in a corduroy jacket.

Authors Note: Im sure you guys are getting what going on now, so review please so i can know if I should continue.


	3. Contradictions and Cheetos

Authors Note: He guysI know its short but I didnt want to go on quite yet. The next part needs to be seperated. WILL UPDATE SOON!

Disclaimer: yada yada yada, blah blah blah. CBS gave it up, so no one really owns it pouts SO Y CANT I HAVE IT!

Chapter 3

"So, don't you think that was a little close?" Adam glared at God. He always seemed to show up when he least wanted to see him.

"You don't have to hide it from her, Adam." God gave him an all-knowing smile.

"Yeah, like when I told her I talked to angels."

"Stop running from her." And as quickly as He had come, he was gone.

Adam rolled his eyes. First, he was supposed to hide his personal relationship with God from everyone. Now, He wanted him to tell Jane. Why did it seem like God was full of contradictions? He headed home for the night, unsure of how he would tell Joan exactly what he had refused to believe from her in the hospital that night.

l-l-l

The next day at school, Friday, was of course busy. Joan found Adam at his locker, transferring things into his red bag.

"Hey, T.G.I.F.?"

Adam looked up. "Oh, hey Jane. What? oh, yeah. Unchallenged. Listen, I'm really loaded and I have to finish an art project before class. I'll see you at lunch?"

"Oh, yeah sure." Joan watched him go down the hall, disappointed. Too bad her view was blocked by a spiky-haired kid with a God complex.

"He seems troubled." Gods lip ring was extremely distracting.

"Thank you, Almighty the Obvious!"

"Ask him about it at lunch." God leaned off the lockers and left her standing in the hall.

Finally the class ended, and it was time for lunch. Adam headed for the cafeteria. _Great, Meatloaf Surprise Wednesday_. Adam decided he would skip lunch, besides, he needed to talk to Joan. Some way or another. He finally spotted her with Grace. Maybe now wasn't the best time.

"Hey Jane." He stole a Cheeto from her.

"Hey! Get your own!" Joan snatched her Cheeto back and popped it in her mouth.

Adam got back to being serious. "Can you come by my shed this afternoon?" He really didn't want to talk about it in front of Grace.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah sure." He didn't sound very convincing, butshe had done what God asked.

"Ok, well why do i need to be there?"

"You'll see." he avoided the subject and left to get some Cheetos.

Grace gave her a puzzled look. "He's being weird."


	4. Colored Thread

Author's Note: short but sweet, dont worry this is not the end.

Disclaimer: Ok i dont own JoA but i so claim Adam lol...i wish

Chapter 4

The school day ended eventually. Joan was swamped with homework, so she thought she'd skip going to Adam's. She started dialing his number as she walked home. She was carrying most of the books she had, and it was very difficult to balance them and dial at the same time. As she was about to press the last digit a voice came from behind her:

"I don't think that's a good idea, Joan." God's antennae mocked her.

Joan sighed. " I have way too much to do to go to Adam's." Joan looked convincingly at the little girl.

"Go see Adam." With that, she turned and skipped off.

Joan rolled her eyes and turned the other direction toward Adam's house. By the time she got there her arms ached from the extra load and her feet were definitely blistered. She knocked on the front door and waited for someone to come, but was startled when Adam came up from behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Jane, I thought I said come to the shed?"

"Oh, ha ha, whoops, sorry." She blushed and followed him around to the back of the house. The walked in and sat down.

Adam stared at Joan, waiting for her to say something.

"So, what'd you need?" Joan said in a perky tone, not realizing the seriousness of her visit.

"Jane, I have to tell you something really important." He looked down.

Joan waited for him to continue. "Okay…"

He snapped back. "You remember when you were in the hospital with Lyme's Disease?" Joan nodded. "Well, you know how you told me that you talk to God and stuff, and I completely didn't believe you 'cause I thought it was because you were sick?" Joan nodded again to keep him going. Adam swallowed hard. "Do you still see him?"

Joan thought hard, not knowing weather to tell him. She didn't want to go back to crazy camp, but she wanted to trust him. Finally, she gave a hesitant nod.

Adam let out a sigh. "That night, I wanted to believe you so bad. I tried to believe you. I thought maybe if I trusted in it enough it would come true. Jane, that night I waited in your room and a boy came in with a corduroy jacket. He touched your hair." Joan's eyes began to widen, but Adam continued. "I thought I was going crazy. I thought I was making him up. Then I thought 'No, this is way too real,'. When he looked up…H-he smiled at me. After that I just knew he was real." Joan knew that feeling as she watched him search the floor for words. "I saw him again after that. Except it wasn't him. I don't know how to explain it, but the next time He was this little girl with some weird headband. She told me things no one else could know. Jane, he talks to me all the time. Sometimes he tells me to do stuff. Does any of this make sense?" He stopped and studied her face. She was crying. She smiled as she cried, knowing she wasn't alone, or for that matter, crazy anymore.

Joan tried to compose herself. "Adam, I-I can't believe this is happening." She wanted to ask so many questions. She had so much to tell him, but one thing most of all, "He was the one who told me to smash your art. He wouldn't tell me why so, when I found out you were going to quit school it was too late a-and I didn't know what to do. I am so sorry."

Adam smiled forgivingly. "I know, He told me." Adam hugged Joan and this time it felt better than ever. Not only were their lives intertwined so close, it seemed like thread, but now they were there, going through this with each other, and a trust ran through that tread like the color that made it beautiful.


	5. Dirty Work

Authors note: I know this is short, but im putting up 2 short chapters up together.

Chapter 5

Judith sat down on the edge of Joan's bed. Joan stirred and peeked out one eye. She let out a long sigh and sat up.

"You and Rocky are really messing up my sleep pattern." Joan rubbed her eyes. "What do you want now?"

"Don't you think Kevin acted really weird?" Joan had no idea where this was going.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kevin. When he brought you that guitar." She pointed at it, almost disgusted. "He sure got out of here fast."

"Are you doing God's dirty work these days?" But before Joan finished talking, Judith had vanished. She flopped back down on the bed. She wished she would stop seeing ghosts and God altogether, but she knew there was no chance of that. Almost as soon as she closed her eyes, her alarm clock rang, waking her from her dream. She didn't get up; instead she pressed the snooze button. Only when she looked up to see it was 7:34, did she realize she had pressed it a few too many times. She was going to be late.

l-l-l

Joan was only a few steps away from Lischak's class when the bell rang.

"You're late, Girardi!" Ms. Lischak slapped her stick on the doorframe next to Joan's head as she walked in. Joan quickly took her seat. Adam looked over at her and whispered:

"Hey, Jane. God said you should talk to Kevin. I have no idea what he was talking about."

Joan rolled her eyes. Why was this so important?


	6. Grape Soda

Chapter 6

Joan stood at Kevin's door. She was reminded of the night of his accident. She remembered that she had come up to his room to borrow a CD. Little did she know, her brother was laying on the pavement in his own blood at that moment.. She knocked, almost too gently, and waited. Kevin opened the door, and looked surprised to see her. He rolled aside and motioned for her to come in. Joan took a seat on his bed.

"What's up?" Kevin looked into her face, still confused.

Joan avoided his eyes. She didn't know where to start. "Ummm…I was wondering why you have a guitar in the first place?" Not the best thing she could have said, but it did the trick.

He got a painful look in his face. He turned and wheeled over to his desk, and sat in silence for a few moments, gathering his words.

"Before-before Beth and I were together, I had this huge crush on her." He smiled. "She said that she liked guys who played guitars, so I bought a guitar. I…ummm…I wrote her a song to try and impress her. It ended up, I totally blew it and she ended up liking me because I was funny. That's-that's how we started." Kevin had a tear in his eyes and wiped it away quickly, hoping Joan didn't see it.

Joan didn't know how to respond. "Why did you stop playing?" she finally said.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I guess, after the accident, I felt like it was just another thing to remind me of her."

"But Kev, it would be a great thing for you to do. I mean, you don't need your legs to do it. A-and you could write songs. You know, get your anger or whatever out."

Kevin looked at the ground thoughtfully. "I guess you're right. I mean, as big of a music buff I am, but don't you want to play it?"

Joan chuckled. "I've already given up on it." She went out of the room and quickly returned with his guitar and handed it to him. Kevin looked at it, admiring the memories he had of it.

He pointed at the sticky spot on the side. "That was actually grape soda Beth shot out her nose when I tried to play that song for her." He looked at Joan and they both laughed.

Authors note: hehehe its not over yet...not even close


	7. Wrinkled Papers and Intercoms

Author's Note: Short i know, but length wasn't neccisary.

Chapter 7

Usually Kevin wouldn't have listened to a word of advice Joan was giving him. Beth was definitely his soft spot. He had been thinking about her a lot. He finally realized what he had to do. He laid the old guitar in his lap, folding a crumpled piece of paper into his pocket, and grabbing a can out of the refrigerator before he left. Soon enough he was pulling into the parking lot at Beth's apartment complex. He buzzed her room.

A voice came over the intercom. "Hello?"

Kevin smiled. "Special delivery," he said, disguising his voice.

"Be right there." The intercom clicked off.

He waited patiently and felt his stomach jump when he saw a figure coming down the hall trough the barred windows. Beth opened the door and looked stunned, Kevin was prepared for this.

He handed her the grape soda, pulled out the piece of paper, and began playing from it.

He sings badly:

I got a crush on you

I love the things you do

The way you look at me

You're all that I can see

Please don't hate

You wanna date?

He let off a boyish grin as Beth continued spewing soda out her nose. When she finally controlled herself she hugged him.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for that." She said as she kissed his cheek.


End file.
